E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Five Fallacies … 137refrain from doing.It may be pointed out that Gandhi suggested that theremight be an upper age limit for the eligibility to vote, even anthere is a lower limit today. He did not suggest that those whowere above a certain age might be eligible but should notexercise their franchise.(2) The way to ensure that every eligible voter voted withoutfear or favour lies partly in administrative measures andpartly in the education of voters. The way to ensure thatvoters vote wisely lies mainly in educating voters on (a) theissues before the electorate; (b) alternative solutions; and(c) the crucial need for a wise choice. A wise exercise ofthe franchise, therefore, depends on the availability ofinformation, as well as the will to adhere to sociallynecessary values. Voters' education, thus, should not merelytransmit information but also create the socially necessarycommitment in the voters. Voters' education includes valueeducation; the object of value education is not merely toremind voters of the existence of values but also to trainthem in evaluating alternative policies, parties and personsin the light of values and information. Thus, in voters'education objectivity does not mean unwillingness to giveexpression to one's choice and the reasons for thepreference that it involves,(3) One of the functions of political parties is to attempt toeducate the electorate. But there is a danger that parties maybe more concerned with propaganda, with exploiting theweaknesses of the electorate rather than with the trueeducation of the electorate. The danger is all the moreserious in India, where masses are poor and illiterate, andsubject to loyalties and disadvantages that can be exploitedto harm democracy and the genuine interest of the masses.Given the state of Indian voters, dispassionate political